How to Throw a Change Up in Fast Pitch Softball
Many fast pitch softball pitchers are afraid to use the change up pitch, but when mastered, it can be one of the most effective tricks to catch your batter off guard and get that third strike. A change up pitch requires practice, but once you have it down, you will be a star on the field.
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Instructions
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Prepare yourself mentally for the pitch. There is nothing in your windup that should indicate to your batter that a change up is on its way. Grip the ball loosely. If you are right-handed, stand with your left toe touching the back of the pitcher's mound and your right foot on top of the mound. Your right toe will be just in front of the mound, allowing it to pivot in the dirt while still coming into contact with the white. Alternate if you are left-handed. Focus on your target, and believe in yourself. Focus on an area just barely inside the strike zone. It can be high or low, left or right, but make your target be somewhere just a little difficult for the batter to reach.
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Set your grip. Grip the ball as usual. Many pitchers grip the ball with the strings running perpendicularly to their first, second and third fingers. Your thumb should wrap around the ball, and can also follow the curve of the ball's strings. Experiment to find a grip you like, and stick to it.
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Wind up. A great way to practice your windup for both a fastball and a change up is to stand next to a wall. When you wind up, your glove will point straight ahead, and your throwing arm will shoot straight up in a circular motion. The knuckles of your throwing arm should face toward you, and your arm and wrist turn as the ball follows the wall. The motion for a change up is the same as that of a fastball until your arm is at the very bottom of its motion. When you throw a fastball, your wrist will continue to turn so that your knuckles are facing your body. But in a change up, your arm turns the other direction, as if you are shaking hands with someone in front of you. Your wrist remains stiff and does not snap. As a result, you "push" the ball forward through your thumb and index finger instead of using your wrist and fingers to snap it. Do not follow through with the motion, instead, your arm will come to a stop as soon as the ball is released. The result is that the speed of your pitch will be much slower than your fastball.
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Practice, practice, practice. By spending lots of time mastering your change up, you will be able to "sneak" this tricky pitch in without the batter knowing--until they have swung and missed. Have someone critique your throws and let you know if you are sending out signals that a change up is coming.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't have a catcher who can regularly practice with you, don't worry. Set up a target by standing up an old mattress against a wall and marking it with your strike zone. Gather a bucket of balls next to you and toss away. You will be able to listen to the thud on the mattress to determine how hard the pitches are thrown. Use this sound to gauge the speed difference of your change ups.
